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Why is your AC not working in Las Vegas?

Why is your AC not working in Las Vegas?

Air conditioning in Las Vegas is a very important subject that is discussed among many individuals on a regular basis. People talk about what kind of AC unit they want to install next summer, or how terrible their AC unit seems to work, and how big their electrical bills are.

With the Las Vegas extreme heat during the summer months, it is not surprising why the HVAC industry is so huge, and why everyone talks about it.

There are lots of topics on HVAC, DIY articles, prices for various services and installations/replacements. However, one of the most common questions we get from our customers at Nevada Residential Services, is “Why?”. Why did my AC stop working? Why is my AC making unusual noises? Why is it leaking? Etc.

These and many other questions are being asked by customers of ours who are just trying to understand the reason behind their AC break-down.

There could be many reasons, and therefore many different answers. Your questions maybe different from the ones discussed in this article, but it is our goal to answer the question “WHY?” to our best ability, keeping in mind that everyone’s issue is different. Under each question and explanation, we try to give an advice on how to avoid/fix the problem.

 

One of the most common breakdowns during the hot summer days in Las Vegas, is the AC not blowing cold air. You may ask your tech, why is it not blowing cold air? The answer will vary depending on the situation. Some of the reasons behind such an issue are;

1. Your blower motor is not working, therefore there is no air coming through the vent.

It is not an uncommon issue when the blower motor burns out due to dirty filters or just simply overuse/old age. This can partially answer the question why? Because of dirty filters, or because it is running for too long.

Advice: Make sure your air filters are always clean. There is no specific time to change your filters, it will be different for every home. For example, if you have carpets, and lots of pets, you will have to change your filters more often than someone who has hardwood floors and no/less pets. That being said, try to make sure you replace those filters at least once every 3 months or more often, but not longer than that.

 

In terms of overuse: Try to make sure your thermostat temperature is not set too low, it will make your AC run too often, and puts a lot of extra strain on all parts. Keep it cool, but don’t try to freeze your house.

 

Old age: this is one part that is out of your control, the only thing you can do about that is to replace the whole system, or specific parts. Whether you should replace the whole thing, or just one part strictly depends on the overall condition of your system. Nevada Residential Services will gladly assist you in making the right decision by conducting a detailed maintenance check.  We are not interested in upselling; therefore, we will tell you our honest opinion and advice, on whether it is worth it for you to replace your system, or if you can get away with just repairing/replacing parts to make it last a couple years longer.

 

2. Another reason for no cold air could be your condensing fan motor outside, or the compressor.

If that is the case, usually you can see this by going outside to your unit, to take a look at what is happening once you set your thermostat on “Cool”. If, however, your unit is on the roof, stay safe, do not climb up there on your own or without proper safety equipment, or if you are unexperienced with ladders. Safety comes first, so trust your AC technician to do this for you and keep you safe. Once you are outside and you see your fan is making a noise but not spinning, you can be sure it has overheated and stopped working, it must be replaced as there is no fixing of overheated condensing fan motors.
Sometimes the fan will be spinning, but the unit will be extremely quiet and not make that buzzing noise. That noise is coming from your compressor, so if you cannot hear it, but the fan is spinning, that means your compressor has stopped working. It could be simply overheated, which means there is a chance of making it work again, but there is also a chance that it has burnt out and will need to be replaced. In both situations listed above, please turn off your system immediately and call for a technician to come take a look, before the system gets damage more. Compressor replacement is one of the most expensive repairs in the AC unit, therefore if your unit is older, and you have no warranty, it is best to consider replacing the whole system, which will provide you with parts and labor warranty for a few years to come. You may be spending a bit more upfront but saving big bucks in the long term. Both on the repairs, as well as on electric bills.

 

3. Lastly, the reason for lack of cold air from the indoor vents could be a lack of Freon in the system.

Most likely caused by a leak somewhere along the lines of the refrigerant. Freon will never disappear on its own because the system is a closed circuit. So, if the Freon is escaping, that means the circuit is broken somewhere, and needs to be repaired. Some leaks are easier to repair, while others are impossible to fix.

How to avoid leaks on your side; there isn’t much you can do when there is a leak on the outside of your house. However, many customers who do renovations in their home, end up making holes in the walls, right where the lines go through, and end up damaging a pipe, by creating a hole in the copper. To avoid this, make sure you know your house, and do not drill holes if you are unsure where the studs are.

If the leak is on the outside, sometimes it happens due to vibration, as the coils are extremely thin and fragile, sometimes vibrations from the unit constantly working can cause a micro hole which is enough for the Freon to escape due to its high pressure. The only way to fix this is to perform a leak test, to find out exactly where the leak is, welding the leak once found, and recharging the system with new Freon. If done properly, the leak should never reappear at the same spot, but it is not guaranteed that it won’t appear anywhere else in the system.

In conclusion

As you can see, one issue can be caused by multiple reasons, this is why it is so important to call a professional whenever you are unsure. If you have done everything you could do yourself, make sure all the switches are on, no breakers are tripped, and the thermostat is set on “Cool”, but the problem is still there, then it is time to call AC Repair services. Let our professionals at Nevada Residential Services diagnose your problem, at no cost to you. Our first priority is to help people; therefore, we never charge for our estimates or our trip to your home.

Nevada Residential Services will continue to provide you with the best information on how to manage a broken AC unit and how to repair ac in Las Vegas Our team is highly professional, polite, and educated in all aspects of the HVAC industry.

Call us today, 7025044625 to book your service.